Masari: Islam Allows a Person to Protect Himself, Family

•Promises to assist citizens acquire weapons

•Bandits kill district head, four others in Zamfara

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, has said the reason he has continued to advocate self-defence in the face of enveloping insecurity in the state, was because Islam as a religion, allowed a person to protect himself and his family against any form of attacks.

Masari, who promised to assist the people of the state to acquire weapons in self-defence, however, said if anyone died while protecting himself and family, he would have died a martyr.

Meanwhile, in nearby Zamfara State, a district head and four other persons were in the early hours of yesterday killed by some armed men suspected to be Bandits at Gada community in Bundugu Local Government Area of the state.

According to a BBC Hausa report, Masari, while discussing with journalists in Katsina, said the number of police operatives in the state was less than 3000, and assured the people that government would assist citizens, who would want to acquire arms so as to contribute in restoring the security situation.

“Security is everybody’s affair, irrespective of political differences. What the public should know is that in Katsina, you don’t have 3000 police. Therefore, we are calling on whoever wants to protect himself and his family to acquire arms.

“The religion of Islam has allowed a person to protect himself and his property and family. If you die in the course of protecting yourself, you die a martyr. The annoying fact is that bandits have access to guns and good people don’t have access to these guns with which they can use to protect themselves and their families”.

Promising to assist any person, who would like to acquire arms in order to stop banditry, Masari said, “We will assist those who want to bring in arms, because there is need for the people of Katsina to support the security agents.”

He, however, criticised the activities of some vigilantes, saying, “We do not trust the activities of vigilantes, because they are leaving their places of origin to other towns. We prefer people defending their places of origin themselves.”

In the Zamfara attack, sources told THISDAY that five soldiers sustained injuries during in a gun duel with the suspected bandits that attacked by the village.

The sources also said one of the injured soldiers with severe injury had been taken to Abuja, while others were taken to the Federal medical Centre, Zamfara.

According to the sources, the suspected bandits also stormed Gada Community at 1amyesterday and started shooting sporadically, which resulted in killing four persons.

The bandits, reports added, also set ablaze the house of the District and other valuables at Gada community.